Skilfully preceding the program exhibition with a brief report on the naval action of Hampton Roads on March 8, 1862 of the American Civil War which saw two heavily armored ships, the Merimac and the Monitor, as protagonists, Admiral Persano presents naval program dictated by the concern for the possible war against Austria, in the context of a strategic conception according to which wooden ships had by now exhausted their time due to the undeniable superiority of armored ships.
It should be recognized to the admiral Persano the ability to have attracted the attention of the deputies on the American facts both to give a chrism of urgency and to substantiate with evidence the contents of the program that provided for the construction of four iron armored pyrocorvets, two pyro-watches in armored wood, an armored ram, three warnings and other minor units.
Source: Military Navy
